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The Importance of Celebrating Progress

When you reach one goal on your list, is your response to immediately replace it with another?

Most super-achievers do that, but the problem is, they never take the time to celebrate and enjoy their wins. Within the hour, their accomplishments are just a deleted history in their agenda and their energy has been refocused on the next challenge.

It is very difficult for most of us to reward ourselves, but we can boost our power when we take the time to celebrate our achievements.

What is it about human nature that we allow ourselves to feel bad when we miss goals, and yet fail to give ourselves time to feel good when we achieve them?

A study done by The Harvard Business School’s Teresa Amabile that analyzed the entries of almost 12,000 diaries from 238 workers in seven companies showed that tracking small achievements was a means of enhancing their motivation.

Keeping a diary of our achievements and taking the time to acknowledge them really helps us to grow our confidence and can lead to even greater successes in the future.

When we feel good about something we have achieved, there is even a physical response from our brain. It releases dopamine to energize us and make us feel even better about ourselves.

Rewards are sweet and we risk losing our perspective if we don’t take the time to enjoy them when we accomplish goals.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a reward or book a cruise that takes you out of your routine. Just taking a little time to engage in an activity that makes you happy could be enough.

You will even boost your physical and mental health with the good feelings that come with small successes.

The one thing that really matters is that you mark the reaching of your goal immediately, like that evening. Don’t tell yourself you will do something in a month’s time or even on the weekend.

Share your successes with those close to you. Bring home a pizza and tell the family it’s a mini-holiday that night. Watch a movie together. Or go for a walk and look up at the night sky. Play some music and dance around the house with your children.

Small wins power big ones, but to be most effective, they need to be acknowledged. Indulge yourself a little and let your mind stop worrying about the next goal on this one night.

If you want to focus again in the morning, that’s fine, but for now, it’s happy time!

Paula Morand is a leadership building, revenue boosting, strategy expanding keynote speaker, author and visionary. This dreaming big and being bold leadership expert and brand strategist brings her vibrant energy, humor and wisdom to ignite individuals, organizations and communities to lead change, growth and impact in a more bold fashion.

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